Clutch with decremental torque function

ABSTRACT

A clutch assembly that is less prone to overheating is disclosed. The clutch assembly includes a clutch housing, a shaft, and a clutch pack. The clutch pack includes a backing plate, an applied plate, a plurality of friction plates, and a plurality of reaction plates. A primary actuator applies pressure to the applied plate to longitudinally compress the entire clutch pack and couple rotation of the clutch housing and the shaft. A secondary actuator applies pressure to at least one plate in the plurality of friction plates and the plurality of reaction plates to longitudinally move the at least one plates independently of the applied plate. This relieves some of the torque transmitted across the clutch pack adjacent the applied plate and reduces localized temperature spikes in the clutch pack adjacent to the applied plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/121,840, filed on Feb. 27, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No.62/121,864, filed on Feb. 27, 2015. Additionally, this application isrelated to U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 14/956,861, filed on Dec.2, 2015, and U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 15/051,085, entitled“Clutch With Opposite Load Application”), filed concurrently herewith.The entire disclosures of the applications referenced above areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to vehicle transmissions, andmore specifically to, clutch assemblies having a plurality of frictionplates and a plurality of reaction plates that are disposed in aninterleaving relationship.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Torque clutch assemblies are commonly used in vehicle transmissions toshift into a forward gear, to shift between forward gears, or to shiftinto a reverse gear. As a shift is being effectuated by thetransmission, torque clutch assemblies selectively supply torque from aprime mover, such as an engine, to one or more gears of thetransmission. Because torque clutch assemblies can decouple the primemover from the one or more gears of the transmission, shifts can beaccomplished without stalling the engine and/or binding thetransmission.

Such torque clutch assemblies may generally include a clutch housing anda shaft that is disposed within the clutch housing. A clutch pack may bedisposed radially between the clutch housing and the shaft. The clutchpack selectively couples rotation of the clutch housing and the shaft.The clutch pack may include various combinations of friction plates andreaction plates that transfer torque between the clutch housing and theshaft when the friction plates and reaction plates are pressed togetherin an engagement direction by a clutch actuator. While the frictionplates and the reaction plates are rotatably coupled to the clutchhousing and the shaft, they are moveable in the engagement directionwith respect to the clutch housing and the shaft. A backing plate may beprovided at one end of the clutch pack that is retained on either theclutch housing or the shaft. Longitudinal movement of the backing platerelative to the clutch housing and the shaft may be limited such thatthe backing plate acts as a stop for the friction plates and reactionplates when the friction plates and reaction plates are pushed in theengagement direction towards the backing plate by the clutch actuator. Asingle applied plate is provided at an opposite end of the clutch pack.Like the friction plates and the reaction plates, the single appliedplate is moveable in the engagement direction with respect to the clutchhousing and the shaft.

The clutch actuator may be configured to apply pressure to the singleapplied plate in the engagement direction. This unidirectional pressurecauses the single applied plate to slide towards the backing plate inthe engagement direction. As a result, the friction plates and thereaction plates of the clutch pack are squeezed between the singleapplied plate and the backing plate. In other words, actuation of theclutch actuator longitudinally compresses the clutch pack in theengagement direction. Torque transfer between the friction plates andthe reaction plates then occurs through friction interfaces that aredisposed between adjacent friction plates and reaction plates. Theclutch actuator may release the unidirectional pressure applied to thesingle applied plate to disengage the clutch pack. When the clutchactuator releases the unidirectional pressure applied to the singleapplied plate, the single applied plate moves longitudinally in adisengagement direction. The disengagement direction is generallyopposite the engagement direction such that the single applied platemoves away from the backing plate in the disengagement direction,allowing the clutch pack to longitudinally expand.

The clutch engagement process begins when the clutch actuator appliespressure to the single applied plate. Where the clutch assembly is a wetclutch assembly, the clutch engagement process may generally bedescribed in three stages: the hydrodynamic stage, the squash stage, andlock-up stage. The hydrodynamic stage is the first stage in the clutchengagement process. While the clutch actuator is moving the singleapplied plate longitudinally toward the backing plate in thehydrodynamic stage, there is no contact between the friction plates andthe reaction plates of the clutch pack and the friction plates andreaction plates remain separated by a fluid film. Typically, no torqueis transferred between friction plates and the reaction plates and thusthe clutch shaft and the housing in the hydrodynamic stage. However, itshould be appreciated that small, incidental amounts of torque transfermay occur in the hydrodynamic stage through fluid shear occurring withinthe fluid film disposed between adjacent friction plates and reactionplates. The squash stage is the second stage in the clutch engagementprocess. The clutch actuator is still moving the single applied platelongitudinally toward the backing plate in the squash stage, but now thefriction plates have begun to contact the applied plates. In the squashstage, there is slippage (i.e. relative motion) between the frictionplates and the reaction plates despite the friction plates contactingthe reaction plates at the friction interfaces. The kinetic energy ofthe relative motion between the friction plates and the reaction platesis absorbed during slippage and is converted to friction generated heat.Although this heat is undesirable from a thermal management standpoint,this slippage is necessary to allow for the gradual transfer of torquebetween the shaft and the housing without stalling the prime mover,shocking the clutch assembly (which could lead to structural failures),and rapid, jerky acceleration. The majority of the torque transferredthrough the clutch assembly during the squash stage is done at thepoints of material contact at the friction interfaces between thefriction plates and the reaction plates with tribo-chemical, mixedlubrication and/or elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication layers and notthrough fluid shear. The lock-up stage is the third stage in the clutchengagement process. In the lock-up stage, the clutch actuator is stillapplying pressure to the single applied plate in the engagementdirection, but the single applied plate has stopped movinglongitudinally toward the backing plate because the clutch pack is fullycompressed between the single applied plate and the backing plate. Inthe lock-up stage, there is no slippage (i.e. relative motion) betweenthe friction plates and the reaction plates such that the shaft rotateswith the clutch housing and 100 percent of the torque at the shaft istransferred to the clutch housing. Accordingly, in the lock-up stage,there is little to no heat generation between the friction plates andthe reaction plates and the friction interfaces begin to cool.

Temperature as it relates to the torque being transmitted through theclutch assembly is a primary design consideration when selecting thesize, number, and material of the friction plates and the reactionplates. In dual-clutch transmissions in particular, temperature build-upin the friction interface(s) near the clutch actuator is a primarylimiting factor. Temperature build-up in the clutch assembly limitstoque capacity and is also a major consideration when designing clutchcooling components. In the case of wet clutches, where the frictionplates and reaction plates are immersed in fluid, selection of theviscosity and formulation of the fluid, the fluid capacity of the clutchhousing, and the pumping capacity of the clutch assembly are closelytied to the expected temperature build-up. Temperature build-up in theclutch assembly occurs when the clutch actuator compresses the clutchpack, which produces friction generated heat as the friction plates andthe reaction plates contact one another. The unidirectional pressureapplied to the clutch pack in the engagement direction leads tovariation in the time the friction plates are compressed in contact withthe reaction plates. This results in temperature variations among thefriction interfaces, with the highest temperatures occurring at thefriction interfaces that have been in contact the longest (i.e. thefriction interfaces closest to the clutch actuator). The temperaturebuild-up in clutch assemblies has been studied in detail. Authors Ten etal. published one such study, entitled “Thermal analysis of a wet-diskclutch subjected to a constant energy engagement,” in the InternationalJournal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Volume 51, Issues 7-8, April 2008,Pages 1757-1769. This study confirms that the highest temperatures inclutch assemblies typically occur at the friction interfaces nearest theclutch actuator. Accordingly, the friction interfaces nearest the clutchactuator act as a design constraint and the overall clutch assembly mustbe designed to avoid overheating of these friction interfaces.

In many clutch assemblies, peak temperatures occur at the frictioninterface that is the second closest to the clutch actuator. This isattributed to the fact that the single applied plate, clutch actuator,and clutch housing can act as a heat sink, cooling the frictioninterface that is closest to the clutch actuator. As a result, thefriction interface that is second closest to the clutch actuator isoften the one that overheats and is therefore a primary limiting factorin the design of clutch assemblies. To reduce the likelihood ofoverheating the friction interfaces nearest the clutch actuator,oversized friction plates may be used that have greater thickness and/orlarger diameters. The increased mass and/or surface area of theoversized friction plates improves heat dissipation away from thefriction interfaces and also makes the friction plates less prone toheat related failures. However, the size increase of the friction platesnegatively impacts the efficiency, packaging, and price of the clutchassembly. Another way overheating is addressed is by increasing thefluid capacity of the clutch housing and/or pumping capacity of theclutch assembly. While increasing these parameters provides bettercooling to the friction interfaces, greater fluid capacity and pumpingcapacity negatively impacts efficiency, packaging, and price of theclutch assembly.

Another approach for reducing the likelihood of overheating the frictioninterfaces nearest the clutch actuator is to control clutch actuationand/or the prime mover such that reduced torque is transmitted throughthe clutch assembly. In some instances, actuation of the clutch assemblymay be controlled so as to provide for early clutch engagement beforethe amount of torque transmitted through the clutch assembly is high(i.e. early lock-up). In other instances, the torque transmitted throughthe clutch during vehicle launch may be reduced by launching the vehiclein second gear instead of in first gear. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,095,946 to Maguire et al., another control method is to limit theoutput of the engine during clutch engagement so that repeated shiftswill not overheat the friction interface. For example, fuel to theengine may be limited or the spark timing may be retarded to reduce theamount of torque that the engine supplies to the clutch assembly. Amajor drawback to these approaches however is that drive quality isnegatively impacted. Acceleration and power may be compromised underthese approaches and shift quality is reduced. Noise, vibration, andharshness (NVH) is often increased under such control schemes, whichnegatively affects customer driving experience. What is needed is asolution that reduces the likelihood of overheating the frictioninterfaces without the associated efficiency, packaging, cost, and drivequality drawbacks noted above.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In accordance with one aspect of the subject disclosure, a clutchassembly that is less prone to overheating is provided. The clutchassembly generally includes a clutch housing, a shaft, and a clutchpack. The clutch housing has an internal surface that defines an innercavity within the clutch housing. The shaft is disposed within the innercavity of the clutch housing. The shaft extends along a longitudinalaxis and has an outer surface. The clutch pack is disposed radiallybetween the clutch housing and the shaft. The clutch pack selectivelycouples rotation of the clutch housing and the shaft and includes afirst end and a second end. The second end of the clutch pack isopposite the first end of the clutch pack such that the second end ofthe clutch pack is longitudinally spaced from the first end of theclutch pack.

The clutch pack further includes a backing plate, an applied plate, aplurality of friction plates, and a plurality of reaction plates. Thebacking plate is disposed at the first end of the clutch pack and isretained on either the clutch housing or the shaft such that the backingplate cannot move longitudinally relative to the clutch housing and theshaft beyond a predetermined limit. The applied plate is disposed at thesecond end of the clutch pack. The applied plate is moveable along thelongitudinal axis relative to the clutch housing and the shaft. Theplurality of friction plates are disposed between the backing plate andthe applied plate. Each friction plate in the plurality of frictionplates is moveable along the longitudinal axis relative to the clutchhousing and the shaft. The plurality of reaction plates are disposedbetween the backing plate and the applied plate in an interleavingrelationship with the plurality of friction plates. Like the frictionplates, each reaction plate in the plurality of reaction plates ismoveable along the longitudinal axis relative to the clutch housing andthe shaft. The clutch assembly also includes a primary actuator and asecondary actuator. The primary actuator selectively applies pressure tothe applied plate at the second end of the clutch pack. By applyingpressure to the applied plate at the second end of the clutch pack, theprimary actuator moves the second end of the clutch pack toward thefirst end of the clutch pack. Because the backing plate at the first endof the clutch pack cannot move longitudinally beyond the predeterminedlimit, the clutch pack is longitudinally compressed, coupling rotationof the clutch housing and the shaft. The secondary actuator selectivelyapplies pressure to at least one plate in the plurality of frictionplates and reaction plates. By applying pressure to at least one of thefriction plates and/or reaction plates, the secondary actuatorlongitudinally moves at least one of the friction plates and/or reactionplates independently of movement of the applied plate at the second endof the clutch pack.

The independent movement of at least one of the friction plates and/orreaction plates provided by the secondary actuator relieves some of thetorque transmitted across the second end of the clutch pack duringactuation of the primary actuator and yields a more uniform loaddistribution across the clutch pack. Advantageously, this reduceslocalized temperature spikes at the second end of the clutch pack, whichoccur in response to actuation of the primary actuator. Accordingly, thedisclosed clutch assembly is less prone to overheating. At the sametime, the size of the clutch pack and the cooling capacity of the clutchassembly can remain the same. Additionally, because the unique structureand actuation of the disclosed clutch assembly reduces localizedtemperature spikes at the second end of the clutch pack, the need forsecond gear launches, early clutch engagement, or a reduction in theoutput of the engine is obviated. Therefore, the disclosed clutchassembly does not suffer from the same efficiency, packaging, cost, anddrive quality drawbacks associated with other solutions to frictioninterface overheating.

In accordance with another aspect of the subject disclosure, thesecondary actuator may be replaced by a first set of secondary actuatorsthat selectively applies pressure to a first reaction plate of theplurality of reaction plates. By applying pressure to the first reactionplate, the first set of secondary actuators longitudinally moves thefirst reaction plate independently of the applied plate. The clutchassembly may also include a second set of secondary actuators thatselectively applies pressure to a second reaction plate of the pluralityof reaction plates. By applying pressure to the second reaction plate,the second set of secondary actuators longitudinally moves the secondreaction plate independently of both the applied plate and the firstreaction plate. Advantageously, the first and second sets of secondaryactuators apply more uniform pressure to the first and second reactionplates, respectively, and provide additional clutch engagement options.By way of example and without limitation, the first and second sets ofsecondary actuators apply pressure to and thereby move the first andsecond reaction plates either sequentially or concurrently to adjust(i.e. tune) the rate of torque transfer increase transmitted through theclutch pack.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the subject disclosure, amethod of engaging the clutch assembly described herein is alsoprovided. Again, the clutch assembly generally includes the shaft, theclutch housing, and the clutch pack. The clutch pack includes thebacking plate and the applied plate. The plurality of friction platesand the plurality of reaction plates are disposed between the backingplate and the applied plate in an interleaving relationship. The methodgenerally includes the steps of: applying torque to the shaft,preventing the backing plate from traveling longitudinally beyond apredetermined limit measured relative to the shaft and the clutchhousing, applying pressure to at least one plate in the plurality offriction plates and reaction plates to move the at least one platelongitudinally toward the backing plate in order to compress a portionof the clutch pack disposed between the at least one plate and thebacking plate, and applying pressure to the applied plate to move theapplied plate longitudinally toward the backing plate in order tocompress the plurality of friction plates and reaction plates betweenthe applied plate and the backing plate to transfer torque from theshaft to the clutch housing via the clutch pack. During the step where aportion of the clutch pack is compressed in response to the applicationof pressure to the at least one plate, the portion of the clutch packthat is compressed includes any reaction plates of the plurality ofreaction plates and any friction plates of the plurality of frictionplates that are disposed between the at least one plate and the backingplate. By applying pressure to the clutch pack at different locations,the disclosed method distributes torque and therefore friction generatedheat more evenly across the clutch pack to reduce the likelihood ofoverheating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated,as the same becomes better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1A is a partial, cross-sectional view of an exemplary clutchassembly constructed in accordance with the subject disclosure where theclutch pack is shown in an uncompressed state;

FIG. 1B is a partial, cross-sectional view of another exemplary clutchassembly constructed in accordance with the subject disclosure where theclutch pack is shown in an uncompressed state;

FIG. 2 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the clutch assembly of FIG.1A where the secondary actuator is applying pressure to one of thereaction plates in the plurality of reaction plates;

FIG. 3 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the clutch assembly of FIG.1A where the clutch pack is in a compressed state with the primaryactuator is applying pressure to the applied plate;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the clutch pack and the secondaryactuators of another exemplary clutch assembly constructed in accordancewith the subject disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the clutch pack and the secondaryactuators of the clutch assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial, cross-sectional view of one of the reaction platesin the plurality of reaction plates and an exemplary actuation memberconstructed in accordance with the subject disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a partial, cross-sectional view of one of the reaction platesin the plurality of reaction plates and another exemplary actuationmember constructed in accordance with the subject disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a partial, cross-sectional view of one of the reaction platesin the plurality of reaction plates and yet another exemplary actuationmember constructed in accordance with the subject disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the clutch assembly of FIG.1A illustrating an exemplary engagement method of the clutch pack wherepressure is concurrently applied to the applied plate and one of thereaction plates in the plurality of reaction plates;

FIG. 10 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the clutch assembly ofFIG. 1A illustrating another exemplary engagement method of the clutchpack where pressure is concurrently applied to the applied plate andeach reaction plate of the plurality of reaction plates;

FIG. 11 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the clutch assembly ofFIG. 1B illustrating an exemplary engagement method of the clutch packwhere pressure is concurrently applied to the applied plate and one ofthe reaction plates in the plurality of reaction plates; and

FIG. 12 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the clutch assembly ofFIG. 1B illustrating another exemplary engagement method of the clutchpack where pressure is concurrently applied to the applied plate andeach reaction plate of the plurality of reaction plates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views, several clutch assemblies 20 withimproved overheat resistance are disclosed.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will bethorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled inthe art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples ofspecific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not beemployed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many differentforms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes,well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are notdescribed in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexample embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As usedherein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and“having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, butdo not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groupsthereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described hereinare not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance inthe particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specificallyidentified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood thatadditional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element orlayer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast,when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engagedto,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another elementor layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Otherwords used to describe the relationship between elements should beinterpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directlybetween,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein,the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more ofthe associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein todescribe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should notbe limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguishone element, component, region, layer or section from another region,layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numericalterms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearlyindicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region,layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element,component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachingsof the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,”“lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatiallyrelative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations ofthe device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depictedin the figures. For example, if the device in the FIGS. is turned over,elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or featureswould then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, theexample term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above andbelow. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or atother orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used hereininterpreted accordingly.

Generally, clutch assemblies, such as the clutch assemblies 20 disclosedin the Figures, may be used in a transmission of a vehicle to shift intoa forward gear, to shift between forward gears, or to shift into areverse gear. The transmission may generally have a transmission casethat houses the forward and/or reverse gears. The disclosed clutchassemblies 20 may be disposed within the transmission case, connected inseries with the transmission case, or integral with the transmissioncase.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 3, the clutch assembly 20 includes aclutch housing 22 having an internal surface 24 that defines an innercavity 26. The inner cavity 26 is thus disposed within the clutchhousing 22 and may have a variety of different shapes. By way of exampleand without limitation, the inner cavity 26 of the clutch housing 22 mayhave a cylindrical shape. A shaft 28 is disposed co-axially within theinner cavity 26 of the clutch housing 22. The shaft 28 extends along andoperably rotates about a longitudinal axis 30. As such, it should beappreciated that the terms “longitudinally” and “longitudinaldirection,” as used herein, refer to movement in a direction that issubstantially parallel with the longitudinal axis 30. The shaft 28presents an outer surface 32 that may also be cylindrical in shape. Aclutch pack 34 is disposed radially between the clutch housing 22 andthe shaft 28. The clutch pack 34 selectively couples rotation of theclutch housing 22 and the shaft 28, as will be explained in greaterdetail below. The clutch pack 34 generally has a first end 36 and asecond end 38 opposite the first end 36 that is longitudinally spacedfrom the first end 36.

A primary actuator 40 is disposed adjacent the second end 38 of theclutch pack 34. The primary actuator 40 operably switches the clutchpack 34 between an uncompressed state (FIGS. 1A and 1B) and a compressedstate (FIG. 3). In the uncompressed state, the primary actuator 40 doesnot apply pressure to the clutch pack 34. In the compressed state, theprimary actuator 40 selectively applies a first pressure 42 to thesecond end 38 of the clutch pack 34 to force the second end 38 of theclutch pack 34 toward the first end 36 of the clutch pack 34. In otherwords, the primary actuator 40 longitudinally compresses the clutch pack34 to switch the clutch pack 34 to the compressed state.

The clutch pack 34 includes a backing plate 44 disposed at the first end36 of the clutch pack 34. The backing plate 44 is rotatably coupled withthe clutch housing 22 such that the backing plate 44 rotates with theclutch housing 22. The backing plate 44 is retained on the clutchhousing 22 such that the backing plate 44 cannot move longitudinallyrelative to the clutch housing 22 beyond a predetermined limit 46. Inthe example shown in FIGS. 1A through 3, the backing plate 44 isretained on the clutch housing 22 such that the backing plate 44 islimited from moving to the left beyond the predetermined limit 46.Accordingly, the backing plate 44 acts as a stop at the first end 36 ofthe clutch pack 34 such that the second end 38 of the clutch pack 34moves relative to the backing plate 44 when the clutch pack 34 isswitched between the uncompressed state and the compressed state by theprimary actuator 40. Although the backing plate 44 may have a variety ofdifferent shapes, the backing plate 44 may have an annular shape. Thebacking plate 44 may also include a first backing plate side 48 and asecond backing plate side 50 that is longitudinally spaced from thefirst backing plate side 48 by a first thickness 52.

The clutch pack 34 also includes an applied plate 54 disposed at thesecond end 38 of the clutch pack 34. The applied plate 54 is rotatablycoupled with the clutch housing 22 such that the applied plate 54rotates with the clutch housing 22. Although the applied plate 54 mayhave a variety of different shapes, the applied plate 54 may have anannular shape. Additionally, the applied plate 54 may include a firstapplied plate side 56 and a second applied plate side 58 that islongitudinally spaced from the first applied plate side 56 by a secondthickness 60. While other configurations are possible, the secondthickness 60 of the applied plate 54 may be less than or equal to thefirst thickness 52 of the backing plate 44. In other words, the backingplate 44 may be thicker than the applied plate 54 or the backing plate44 and the applied plate 54 may have equal thicknesses. The appliedplate 54 is acted on by the primary actuator 40 when the primaryactuator 40 switches the clutch pack 34 to the compressed state. Asillustrated in FIG. 3, the primary actuator 40 applies the predeterminedpressure 42 to the second applied plate side 58 to force the appliedplate 54 longitudinally toward the backing plate 44. This action movesthe applied plate 54 in a direction that is parallel with thelongitudinal axis 30 and compresses the clutch pack 34 against thebacking plate 44.

The clutch pack 34 additionally includes a plurality of friction plates62 and a plurality of reaction plates 64 that are disposed adjacent toone another in an interleaving relationship between the backing plate 44and the applied plate 54. As such, the plurality of friction plates 62and the plurality of reaction plates 64 collectively make up the clutchpack 34. The term “interleaving relationship” used herein means that thesequence of friction plates 62 and reaction plates 64 in the clutch pack34 alternates, where a friction plate 62 is positioned next to areaction plates 64, which is next to another friction plate 62. Theplurality of friction plates 62 are rotatably coupled with the shaft 28such that the plurality of friction plates 62 rotate with the shaft 28.Although the plurality of friction plates 62 may have a variety ofdifferent shapes, each friction plate 62 in the plurality of frictionplates 62 may have an annular shape. Each friction plate 62 of theplurality of friction plates 62 may also include a first side 66 and asecond side 68 that is longitudinally spaced from the first side 66 by athird thickness 70. While other configurations are possible, the thirdthickness 70 of each friction plate 62 of the plurality of frictionplates 62 may be less than the first thickness 52 of the backing plate44 and the second thickness 60 of the applied plate 54. In other words,the backing plate 44 and the applied plate 54 may each have a thickerconstruction than that of each friction plate 62 of the plurality offriction plates 62.

The plurality of reaction plates 64 are rotatably coupled with theclutch housing 22 such that the plurality of reaction plates 64 rotatewith the clutch housing 22. Although the plurality of reaction plates 64may have a variety of different shapes, each reaction plate 64 in theplurality of reaction plates 64 may have an annular shape. Each reactionplate 64 of the plurality of reaction plates 64 may also include a firstface 72 and a second face 74 that is longitudinally spaced from thefirst face 72 by a fourth thickness 76. While other configurations arepossible, the fourth thickness 76 of each reaction plate 64 of theplurality of reaction plates 64 may be less than the first thickness 52of the backing plate 44 and the second thickness 60 of the applied plate54. In other words, the backing plate 44 and the applied plate 54 mayeach have a thicker construction than that of each friction plate 62 ofthe plurality of friction plates 62 and each reaction plate 64 of theplurality of reaction plates 64. In some configurations, the fourththickness 76 of each reaction plate 64 of the plurality of reactionplates 64 may equal the third thickness 70 of each friction plate 62 ofthe plurality of friction plates 62. Furthermore, it should beappreciated that because the plurality of friction plates 62 and theplurality of reaction plates 64 are disposed in an interleavingrelationship, the first faces 72 of some of the reaction plates 64 facethe second sides 68 of some of the friction plates 62 and the secondfaces 79 of some of the reaction plates 64 face the first sides 66 ofsome of the friction plates 62.

As noted above, the backing plate 44, the applied plate 54, and theplurality of reaction plates 64 in FIGS. 1A through 3 are rotatablycoupled to the clutch housing 22. Although the structure that rotatablycouples the backing plate 44, the reaction plate 54, and the pluralityof reaction plates 64 to the clutch housing 22 may vary, this structuremay include a first plurality of splines 78 that are disposed along theinternal surface 24 of the clutch housing 22. As shown in FIGS. 1A-3,the first plurality of splines 78 extend parallel to the longitudinalaxis 30 and engage the backing plate 44, the applied plate 54, and theplurality of reaction plates 64 to rotatably couple the clutch housing22 with the backing plate 44, the reaction plate 54, and the pluralityof reaction plates 64. On the other hand, the plurality of frictionplates 62 in FIGS. 1A through 3 are rotatably coupled to the shaft 28.Although the structure that rotatably couples the plurality of frictionplates 62 to the shaft 28 may vary, this structure may include a secondplurality of splines 80 that are disposed along the outer surface 32 ofthe shaft 28. The second plurality of splines 80 extend parallel to thelongitudinal axis 30 and engage the plurality of friction plates 62 torotatably couple the shaft 28 with the plurality of friction plates 62.Notwithstanding the foregoing, other types of connections between thebacking plate 44, the applied plate 54, the plurality of friction plates62, the plurality of reaction plates 64, the clutch housing 22, and theshaft 28 may be used without departing from the scope of the subjectdisclosure. It should also be appreciated that the backing plate 44, theapplied plate 54, the plurality of friction plates 62, the plurality ofreaction plates 64 may be rotatably coupled to either the clutch housing22 or the shaft 28 without departing from the scope of the subjectdisclosure such that various arrangements are possible.

As shown in FIGS. 1A through 3, the backing plate 44 is retained on theclutch housing 22 such that it cannot move longitudinally beyond thepredetermined limit 46. This predetermined limit 46 may be measuredrelative to the applied plate 54 such that the backing plate 44 can onlymove so far away from the applied plate 54 before it is stopped.Although the structure that stops the backing plate 44 at thepredetermined limit 46 may vary, in the configuration shown in FIGS. 1Athrough 3, this structure includes a retainer ring 82. The clutchhousing 22 has a retainer groove 84 that extends annularly about theinner cavity 26 and radially into the clutch housing 22 from theinternal surface 24. The retainer ring 82 is received in the retainergroove 84. The retainer ring 82 projects into the inner cavity 26 fromthe retainer groove 84 to abut the first backing plate side 48. Theretainer ring 82 therefore defines the predetermined limit 46 such thatthe retainer ring 82 prevents the backing plate 44 from movinglongitudinally beyond the predetermined limit 46 in a direction movingaway from the applied plate 54. Stated another way, the retainer ring 82illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 3 prevents the backing plate 44 frommoving longitudinally to the left past the predetermined limit 46 set bythe retainer ring 82 and the retainer groove 84. Other types of thestructure may be used for retaining the backing plate 44 longitudinallyon the clutch housing 22. By way of example and without limitation, thebacking plate 44 may be fixedly connected to the clutch housing 22 suchthat the backing plate 44 cannot move longitudinally with respect to theclutch housing 22 in either direction.

The primary actuator 40 acts to longitudinally compress the clutch pack34 by pushing on and moving the applied plate 54 in the longitudinaldirection toward the backing plate 44. As the applied plate 54 movestowards the backing plate 44, the applied plate 54 pushes both theplurality of friction plates 62 and the plurality of reaction plates 64longitudinally toward the backing plate 44. Because the backing plate 44is prevented from moving longitudinally beyond the predetermined limit46, the plurality of friction plates 62 and the plurality of reactionplates 64 are squeezed between the applied plate 54 and the backingplate 44 as the primary actuator 40 pushes the applied plate 54 towardsthe backing plate 44, thus longitudinally compressing the clutch pack34.

In addition to the primary actuator 40, the disclosed clutch assembly 20includes one or more secondary actuators 86. As shown in FIG. 1A, theone or more secondary actuators 86 each selectively and individuallycontrol the longitudinal movement of an applied reaction plate 64 a ofthe plurality of reaction plates 64. Each of the secondary actuators 86includes an actuation member 88 that extends to and contacts the appliedreaction plate 64 a. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the secondaryactuator 86 is actuated, the actuation member 88 pushes on andlongitudinally moves the applied reaction plate 64 a in a firstdirection toward the backing plate 44. This movement occurs by applyinga second pressure 89 to the actuation member 88, which is transmitted tothe applied reaction plate 64 a via the actuation member 88. Withreference to FIG. 2, as the applied reaction plate 64 a is moved in thefirst direction toward the backing plate 44 by the actuation members 88,the applied reaction plate 64 a pushes a portion of the clutch pack 34,including those friction plates 62 and reactions plates 64 disposedlongitudinally between the applied reaction plate 64 a and the backingplate 44, toward the backing plate 44. Because the backing plate 44 isprevented from moving longitudinally beyond the predetermined limit 46,those friction plates 62 and reaction plates 64 disposed between theapplied reaction plate 64 a and the backing plate 44 are squeezedbetween the applied reaction plate 64 a and the backing plate 44, thuslongitudinally compressing that portion of the clutch pack 34. When thesecondary actuator 86 is released, the applied reaction plate 64 a moveslongitudinally in a second direction toward the applied plate 54 toreturn to its original position.

The primary actuator 40 and the secondary actuator(s) 86 are operablyconnected to a controller 90 that controls actuation of the primaryactuator 40 and the secondary actuator(s) 86. As will be explained ingreater detail below, by controlling the timing between actuation of thesecondary actuator(s) 86 relative to actuation of the primary actuator40, the controller 90 can more evenly distribute peak temperaturesacross the clutch pack 34. It should be appreciated that the terms“primary” and “secondary” used in connection with the primary actuator40 and the secondary actuator(s) 86 are used to differentiate theactuators 40, 86 from one another and are not used to designate an orderof operation or order of importance.

In some configurations, including the configurations illustrated inFIGS. 1A through 3, the each friction plate 62 of the plurality offriction plates 62 includes a friction interface 92 disposed on at leastone of the first side 66 and the second side 68 of the friction plate62. The friction interface 92 transfers torque between the frictionplate 62 and a directly adjacent reaction plate 64, applied plate 54, orbacking plate 44 when the clutch pack 34 is compressed by the primaryactuator 40, the secondary actuator(s) 86, or both. This torque transferthrough the friction interfaces 92 of the friction plates 62 allows theclutch pack 34 to rotatably couple the clutch housing 22 and the shaft28. As illustrated in FIGS. 1A through 3, the friction interface 92 maybe disposed on the first and second sides 66, 68 of each friction plate62 of the plurality of friction plates 62. In this configuration,rotation of shaft 28 drives rotation of the friction plates 62. When theclutch pack 34 is longitudinally compressed by the primary actuator 40and/or the secondary actuator(s) 86, the friction interfaces 92 of thefriction plates 62 contact the reaction plates 64, the first appliedplate side 56 of the applied plate 54, and the second backing plate side50 of the backing plate 44 to transmit torque from the shaft 28 to theclutch housing 22. The torque transmission provided by the frictioninterfaces 92 drives rotation of the clutch housing 22 when the clutchhousing 22 is free to rotate. When the clutch assembly 20 is used as abrake, the clutch housing 22 is fixed (i.e. held stationary) and thetorque transmission provided by the friction interfaces 92 act to brake(i.e. slow) the shaft 28. When the clutch assembly 20 is used as abrake, the clutch housing 22 may be fixed to or integrally formed withthe transmission case. Such configurations are sometimes referred to asa stationary clutch. It should also be appreciated that in someconfigurations (not shown), friction interfaces may be applied to one ormore of the reaction plates 64. Accordingly, the plurality of reactionplates 64 are not necessarily distinguished from the plurality offriction plates 62 by the presence or absence of the friction interface92, but instead, the plurality of reaction plates 64 is a grouping ofcommonly rotating clutch plates that includes at least one plate that isindependently driven by the secondary actuator(s) 86.

It should also be appreciated that the secondary actuator(s) 86 mayalternatively apply pressure to one or more of the friction plates 62 a.For example and without limitation, in the configuration shown in FIG.1B the one or more secondary actuators 86 each selectively andindividually control the longitudinal movement of an applied frictionplate 62 a of the plurality of friction plates 62. The actuation member88 of each of the secondary actuators 86 extends to and contacts theapplied friction plate 62 a. When the secondary actuator 86 is actuated,the actuation member 88 pushes on and moves the applied friction plate62 a in the longitudinal direction toward the backing plate 44. Thismovement occurs by applying a second pressure 89 to the actuation member88, which is transmitted to the applied friction plate 62 a via theactuation member 88. Operation continues as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3except that in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1B, it is theapplied friction plate 62 a that is acted on by the secondary actuator86.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the clutch assembly 20 in the uncompressedstate. The primary actuator 40 is not applying pressure to the appliedplate 54 and the secondary actuator 86 is not applying pressure to theapplied friction plate 62 a (FIG. 1B) or the applied reaction plate 64 a(FIG. 1A) so the clutch pack 34 remains uncompressed. The frictionplates 62 are not squeezed between the applied plate 54, the reactionplates 64, or the backing plate 44 such that there is no torque beingtransmitted between the clutch housing 22 and the shaft 28. In FIG. 2,the clutch assembly 20 is shown where only the secondary actuator(s) 86are applying the second pressure 89 to the applied reaction plate 64 a.FIG. 3, illustrates the clutch assembly 20 where the clutch pack 34 hasreached the compressed state. In the compressed state shown in FIG. 3,both the primary actuator 40 and the secondary actuator(s) 86 areapplying pressure to the clutch pack 34. The primary actuator 40 isapplying the first pressure 42 to the applied plate 54 and the secondaryactuator(s) 86 are applying the second pressure 89 to the appliedreaction plate 64 a.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the actuation members 88 may include a firstset of actuation members 88 a and a second set of actuation members 88 band the secondary actuators 86 may include a first set of secondaryactuators 86 a and a second set of secondary actuators 86 b. The firstset of actuation members 88 a may be phased (i.e. radially offset) withrespect to the second set of actuation members 88 b such that the firstset of actuation members 88 a do not interfere with the second set ofactuation members 88 b. In other words, the first set of actuationmembers 88 a and the second set of actuation members 88 b are radiallydisposed in a sequentially alternating pattern about the longitudinalaxis 30. In this way, each actuation member 88 a of the first set ofactuation members 88 a is radially spaced between two actuation members88 b of the second set of actuation members 88 b and vice versa.

The first set of actuation members 88 a extend between the first set ofsecondary actuators 86 a and a first reaction plate 64 a of theplurality of reaction plates 64. The second set of actuation members 88b extend between the second set of secondary actuators 86 b and a secondreaction plate 64 b of the plurality of reaction plates 64. Accordingly,the first set of actuation members 88 a and the first set of secondaryactuators 86 a cooperate to apply pressure to the first reaction plate64 a, causing the first reaction plate 64 a to move longitudinallytoward the backing plate 44. The second set of actuation members 88 band the second set of secondary actuators 86 b cooperate to applypressure to the second reaction plate 64 b, causing the second reactionplate 64 b to move longitudinally toward the backing plate 44.Additional sets of actuation members and secondary actuators may beprovided where the movement of three or more of the reaction plates 64in the clutch pack 34 are individually and independently controlled. Itshould also be appreciated that the number of actuation members 88 andsecondary actuators 86 associated with each reaction plate 64 may varyand is not limited to the three in number shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Forexample and without limitation, each reaction plate 64 may be controlledby a single actuation member 88 and a single secondary actuator 86.

As shown in FIGS. 6 through 8, the actuation members 88 may have avariety of different geometric shapes. In the configuration illustratedin FIG. 6, the actuation member 88 extends in an L-shape, where theactuation member 88 includes a bridging portion 94 and a first leg 96that extends transversely from one end of the bridging portion 94. Thebridging portion 94 of the actuation member 88 may be parallel to thelongitudinal axis 30 and generally extends past the applied plate 54 toone of the reaction plates 64 (see FIG. 1A). The first leg 96 may beperpendicular to the longitudinal axis 30. The secondary actuator 86applies the second pressure 89 to the first leg 96. The end of thebridging portion 94 that is opposite the first leg 96 contacts thesecond face 74 of the applied reaction plate 64 a during actuation ofthe secondary actuator 86. In some arrangements, the actuation member 88may not be connected to the applied reaction plate 64 a and only pushesthe reaction plate 64 a towards the backing plate 44. In otherarrangements, the end of the bridging portion 94 that is opposite thefirst leg 96 may be fixedly connected to the applied reaction plate 64a. By way of example and without limitation, the end of the bridgingportion 94 may be fixedly connected to the applied reaction plate 64 aby a weld, a fastener, a press-fit connection, or adhesive.

In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 7, the actuation member 88extends in a U-shape, where the actuation member 88 further includes asecond leg 98 that extends transversely from the end of the bridgingportion 94 opposite the first leg 96. As such, the second leg 98 islongitudinally spaced from the first leg 96 and the first and secondlegs 96, 98 may be parallel with one another. The second leg 98 contactsthe second face 74 of the applied reaction plate 64 a during actuationof the secondary actuator 86. Again, in some arrangements, the actuationmember 88 may not be connected to the applied reaction plate 64 a andonly pushes the applied reaction plate 64 a towards the backing plate44. In other arrangements, the second leg 98 may be fixedly connected tothe applied reaction plate 64 a. By way of example and withoutlimitation, the second leg 98 may be fixedly connected to the appliedreaction plate 64 a by a weld, a fastener, a press-fit connection, oradhesive.

In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 8, the actuation member 88 hasa forked shape, where the actuation member 88 further includes a thirdleg 100 that extends transversely from the bridging portion 94 of theactuation member 88. The third leg 100 is positioned longitudinallyalong the bridging portion 94 between the first leg 96 and the secondleg 98. As such, the third leg 100 is longitudinally spaced from thesecond leg 98 and the second and third legs 98, 100 may be parallel withone another. The second leg 98 and the third leg 100 are longitudinallyspaced from one another by the fourth thickness 76 of the appliedreaction plate 64 a such that the applied reaction plate 64 a ispermanently received between the second leg 98 and the third leg 100 ofthe actuation member 88. More particularly, the second leg 98 of theactuation member 88 abuts the first face 72 of the applied reactionplate 64 a and the third leg 100 of the actuation member 88 abuts thesecond face 74 of the applied reaction plate 64 a. Accordingly, theapplied reaction plate 64 a is held between the second and third legs98, 100 of the actuation member 88 such that the reaction plate 64 atranslates longitudinally with the actuation member 88 as the actuationmember 88 is acted on by the secondary actuator 86.

Referring again to FIGS. 1A through 3, the clutch housing 22 extendsinwardly adjacent the applied plate 54 and houses both the primaryactuator 40 and the secondary actuators 86. Each of the secondaryactuators 86 includes a driver 102 for generating the second pressure 89(i.e. the force) that is transmitted to the applied reaction plate 64 avia the actuation member 88. The driver 102 includes an actuator cavity104 that is disposed within the clutch housing 22. The first leg 96 ofthe actuation member 88 is received in the actuator cavity 104. Fluidpressure within the actuator cavity 104 acts on the first leg 96 causingthe first leg 96 and thus the actuation member 88 to translatelongitudinally toward or away from the backing plate 44. The controller90 controls fluid flow to the actuator cavity 104 and therefore controlsthe fluid pressure within the actuator cavity 104. In this way, thecontroller 90 can actuate the secondary actuators 86 and cause theactuation member 88 and the applied reaction plate 64 a to move towardthe backing plate 44 independent of actuation of the primary actuator40. Optionally, a spring (not shown) may be disposed within the actuatorcavity 104 that contacts the first leg 96 of the actuation member 88 tobias the actuation member 88 to a default position. For example, theactuation member 88 may be biased away from the backing plate 44.Notwithstanding the examples illustrated and described herein, where thesecondary actuators 86 are fluid operated hydraulic actuators, thesecondary actuators 86 may alternatively include, without limitation,mechanical, electrical, or electro-mechanical drivers.

Various alternative configurations are possible where the backing plate44, the applied plate 54, the plurality of friction plates 62, and theplurality of reaction plates 64 are rotatably coupled to either theclutch housing 22 or the shaft 28 in different combinations. All suchcombination are considered to be within the scope of the subjectdisclosure. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the severalviews of the clutch assembly 20 in the Figures are partialcross-sectional views. Accordingly, the primary actuator 40 may bemultiple actuators that individually apply the first pressure 42 to theapplied plate 54. The disclosed clutch assembly 20 may also adjusttorque transmission through the clutch pack 34 by varying the firstpressure 42 that the primary actuator 40 applies to the applied plate54. Under such a configuration, the primary actuator 40 may includemultiple actuators that apply different first pressures 42 to theapplied plate 54, respectively. The secondary actuators 86 may beannular in shape, or may alternatively be one or more discrete actuatorsthat are positioned radially within the clutch housing 22 adjacent toeither the applied plate 54 (as shown) or adjacent to the backing plate44 (not shown). Where the secondary actuators 86 are disposed within theclutch housing 22 adjacent to the backing plate 44, the actuationmembers 88 may be oppositely oriented such that the actuation members 88pull the one or more reaction plates 64 toward the backing plate 44rather than pushing the one or more reaction plates 64 toward thebacking plate 44 (as shown). The actuation members 88 may alternativelyextend annularly about the clutch pack 34 in a coaxially nestedrelationship with one another. Although not shown in the Figures, one,some, or all of the reaction plates 64, the friction plates 62, thebacking plate 44, and the applied plate 54 may be biased to certainlongitudinal positions that can be measured in relation to retainer ring82. By way of example and without limitation, such biasing may beaccomplished by springs, actuators, inertia, or hydraulic pressurewithin the inner cavity 26. It should also be appreciated that althoughthe figures illustrate wet-clutch assemblies, where the inner cavity 26contains a fluid, the subject disclosure also applies to dry-clutchassemblies.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a method of engaging the clutch assembly 20described above is illustrated. As explained above, the clutch assembly20 generally includes shaft 28, clutch housing 22, and clutch pack 34.The clutch pack 34 includes backing plate 44 and applied plate 54. Theplurality of friction plates 62 and the plurality of reaction plates 64are disposed between the backing plate 44 and the applied plate 54 in aninterleaving relationship. The method generally includes the steps of:applying torque to the shaft 28, preventing the backing plate 44 fromtraveling longitudinally beyond the predetermined limit 46 measuredrelative to the shaft 28 and the clutch housing 22, applying pressure toat least one reaction plate 64 a in the plurality of reaction plates 64to move the at least one reaction plate 64 a longitudinally toward thebacking plate 44, compressing any reaction plates 64′ of the pluralityof reaction plates 64 and any friction plates 62′ of the plurality offriction plates 62 disposed between the at least one reaction plate 64 aand the backing plate 44, applying pressure to the applied plate 54 tomove the applied plate 54 longitudinally toward the backing plate 44,and compressing the plurality of reaction plates 64 and the plurality offriction plates 62 between the applied plate 54 and the backing plate 44to transfer torque from the shaft 28 to the clutch housing 22 via theclutch pack 34. Accordingly, the step of compressing any reaction plates64′ and any friction plates 62′ disposed between the at least onereaction plate 64 a and the backing plate 44 results in compressing onlya portion of the clutch pack 34. Further, it should be appreciated thatthe step of applying pressure to at least one reaction plate 64 a of theplurality of reaction plates 64 may include applying the second pressure89 to the at least one reaction plate 64 a and the step of applyingpressure to the applied plate 54 may include applying the first pressure42 to the applied plate 54.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the step of applying pressure to the at leastone reaction plate 64 a may be performed concurrently with the step ofapplying pressure to the applied plate 54. Advantageously, thisengagement methodology reduces localized temperature spikes in theclutch pack 34 adjacent to the applied plate 54 because torque from theshaft 28 is split between at least two longitudinally spaced regionsduring clutch engagement. This creates more uniform temperatures acrossthe clutch pack 34 in comparison to other designs where torque and thusheat generation is localized at a single friction interface disposedadjacent to the applied plate 54. Also, kiss point torque can becontrolled without varying the second pressure 89. Other clutchassemblies require careful calibration of the pressure initially appliedto the applied plate 54 because excessive pressure can cause excessivetorque transfer at the kiss point (i.e. where the friction interfacesfirst engage), causing poor shift quality. Because the number of engagedfriction plates 62′ can be controlled by the disclosed method, kisspoint torque can be controlled without calibration of the secondpressure 89 since only a limited number of friction plates 62′ will becompressed regardless of how great the second pressure 89 may be. Asillustrated in FIG. 10, the step of applying pressure to the at leastone reaction plate 64 a may further include individually applyingpressure to each reaction plate 64 in the plurality of reaction plates64 to uniformly move the plurality of reaction plates 64 towards thebacking plate 44 at the same time. This acts to more uniformly dividethe torque and therefore more evenly distributes friction generated heatlongitudinally across the clutch pack 34 while achieving maximum torquetransfer.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, a variation of the method of engaging theclutch assembly 20 described above is illustrated where the steps ofapplying pressure to at least one reaction plate 64 a in the pluralityof reaction plates 64 to move the at least one reaction plate 64 alongitudinally toward the backing plate 44 is replaced by the step ofapplying pressure to at least one friction plate 62 a in the pluralityof friction plates 62 to move the at least one friction plate 62 alongitudinally toward the backing plate 44. As a result, the methodfurther includes the step of compressing any reaction plates 64′ of theplurality of reaction plates 64 and any friction plates 62′ of theplurality of friction plates 62 disposed between the at least onefriction plate 62 a and the backing plate 44. It should be appreciatedthat the step of applying pressure to at least one friction plate 62 aof the plurality of friction plates 62 may include applying the secondpressure 89 to the at least one friction plate 62 a and the step ofapplying pressure to the applied plate 54 may include applying the firstpressure 42 to the applied plate 54.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the step of applying pressure to the at leastone friction plate 62 a may be performed concurrently with the step ofapplying pressure to the applied plate 54. Advantageously, thisengagement methodology reduces localized temperature spikes in theclutch pack 34 adjacent to the applied plate 54 because torque from theshaft 28 is split between at least two longitudinally spaced regionsduring clutch engagement. This creates more uniform temperatures acrossthe clutch pack 34 in comparison to other designs where torque and thusheat generation is localized at a single friction interface disposedadjacent to the applied plate 54. Also, kiss point torque can becontrolled without varying the second pressure 89. Other clutchassemblies require careful calibration of the pressure initially appliedto the applied plate 54 because excessive pressure can cause excessivetorque transfer at the kiss point (i.e. where the friction interfacesfirst engage), causing poor shift quality. Because the number of engagedfriction plates 62′ can be controlled by the disclosed method, kisspoint torque can be controlled without calibration of the secondpressure 89 since only a limited number of friction plates 62′ will becompressed regardless of how great the second pressure 89 may be. Asillustrated in FIG. 12, the step of applying pressure to the at leastone friction plate 62 a may further include individually applyingpressure to each friction plate 62 in the plurality of friction plates62 to uniformly move the plurality of friction plates 62 towards thebacking plate 44 at the same time. This acts to more uniformly dividethe torque and therefore more evenly distributes friction generated heatlongitudinally across the clutch pack 34 while achieving maximum torquetransfer.

Further still, the step of applying pressure to at least one of thefriction plates and reaction plates 62 a, 64 a may be performed at afirst time and the step of applying pressure to the applied plate 54 maybe performed at a second time that is different than the first time. Forexample and without limitation, the second time (where the firstpressure 42 is applied to the applied plate 54) may be later than thefirst time (where the second pressure 89 is applied to at least one ofthe friction plates and reaction plates 62 a, 64 a). Thus, by delayinglongitudinal movement of the applied plate 54 toward the backing plate44, some of the friction generated heat has already been dissipated atthe friction interface at or adjacent to the at least one friction plate62 a and/or the at least one reaction plate 64 a therefore reducinglocalized temperature spikes in the clutch pack at or adjacent to theapplied plate 54. This methodology also provides enhanced control of thetorque versus time function of the clutch assembly 20 during a launch orshift. A more consistent and gradual increase in torque transfer throughthe clutch pack 34 can be achieved, which can result in improved noise,vibration, and harshness and improved drivability characteristics. Asyet another option, the step of applying pressure to at least one of thefriction plates and reaction plates 62 a, 64 a and the step ofcompressing the reaction plates 64′ and the friction plates 62′ disposedbetween the backing plate 44 and the at least friction plate 62 a and/orthe at least one reaction plate 64 a may be performed during every otherengagement of the clutch pack 34. In this way, temperature spikes in theclutch pack 34 can be switched from at or near the applied plate 54 toat or near the at least one friction plate 62 a and/or the at least onereaction plate 64 a with every other engagement to reduce localized heatbuild-up in the clutch pack 34 resulting from repeated engagements ofthe clutch pack 34 during a short time span.

The controller 90 may generally be configured to control the applicationof pressure to the applied plate 54 and the at least one friction plate62 a and/or the at least one reaction plate 64 a in accordance with thevarious aspects of the method described above. For example and withoutlimitation, where pressure is applied to the at least one reaction plate64 a during every other engagement of the clutch pack 34, the controllermay include a processor and memory. The processor of the controller 90may count every engagement of the clutch pack 34 and generate a clutchengagement count identifying the number of times that the clutch pack 34has been compressed. The memory of the controller 90 may be used tostore the clutch engagement count such that the processor of thecontroller 90 can increment the clutch engagement count over time. Thecontroller 90 may operably control the second actuator 86 to applypressure to the at least one reaction plate 64 a only when the clutchengagement count is an odd number or only when the clutch engagementcount is an even number. Advantageously, this reduces the likelihood ofoverheating because the cycling time between temperature rises in firstend 36 and the second end 38 of the clutch pack 34 is essentiallydoubled, giving the first end 36 and the second end 38 of the clutchpack 34 more time to cool before the next temperature rise.

As explained above, the engagement of the clutch pack 34 may act toeither drive rotation of the clutch housing 22 or to brake the shaft 28.Where engagement of the clutch pack 34 drives rotation of the clutchhousing 22, the step of compressing the plurality of reaction plates 64and the plurality of friction plates 62 between the applied plate 54 andthe backing plate 44 causes the clutch housing 22 to rotate at the samespeed as the shaft 28. Where the clutch pack 34 acts as a brake, theclutch housing 22 is rotationally fixed and the step of compressing theplurality of reaction plates 64 and the plurality of friction plates 62between the applied plate 54 and the backing plate 44 slows rotation ofthe shaft 28.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or featuresof a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.These antecedent recitations should be interpreted to cover anycombination in which the inventive novelty exercises its utility. Manymodifications and variations of the present invention are possible inlight of the above teachings and may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described while within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A clutch assembly comprising: a clutch housinghaving an internal surface that defines an inner cavity within saidclutch housing; a shaft disposed within said inner cavity of said clutchhousing, said shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and having anouter surface; a clutch pack disposed radially between said clutchhousing and said shaft that selectively couples rotation of said clutchhousing and said shaft; said clutch pack including a first end and asecond end opposite said first end such that said second end islongitudinally spaced from said first end; said clutch pack including abacking plate disposed at said first end of said clutch pack, saidbacking plate being retained on one of said clutch housing and saidshaft such that said backing plate cannot move longitudinally relativeto said clutch housing and said shaft beyond a predetermined limit; saidclutch pack including an applied plate disposed at said second end ofsaid clutch pack that is moveable along said longitudinal axis relativeto said clutch housing and said shaft; said clutch pack including aplurality of friction plates disposed between said backing plate andsaid applied plate, said plurality of friction plates being moveablealong said longitudinal axis relative to said clutch housing and saidshaft; said clutch pack including a plurality of reaction platesdisposed between said backing plate and said applied plate in aninterleaving relationship with said plurality of friction plates, saidplurality of reaction plates being moveable along said longitudinal axisrelative to said clutch housing and said shaft; a primary actuator thatselectively applies a first pressure to said applied plate at saidsecond end of said clutch pack to move said second end of said clutchpack toward said first end of said clutch pack, longitudinally compressall of said friction plates and reaction plates in said clutch pack, andcouple rotation of said clutch housing and said shaft; and a secondaryactuator that selectively applies a second pressure to at least oneplate in said plurality of friction plates and said plurality ofreaction plates, in the same direction as said first pressure, tolongitudinally move said at least one plate independently of saidapplied plate at said second end of said clutch pack, wherein theindependent movement of said at least one plate provided by saidsecondary actuator only compresses a portion of said clutch packdisposed between said at least one plate and said backing plate.
 2. Theclutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said secondary actuatorincludes a driver that generates said second pressure and an actuationmember that extends between said driver and said at least one plate,said actuation member transferring said second pressure from said driverto said at least one plate during actuation of said secondary actuator.3. The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said driver ofsaid secondary actuator includes an actuator cavity configured toreceive fluid.
 4. The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 3 whereinsaid actuation member includes a bridging portion that extendslongitudinally and a first leg that is transverse to said bridgingportion and that is received in said actuator cavity such that saidfluid within said actuator cavity applies pressure on said first leg anddisplaces said actuation member during actuation of said secondaryactuator.
 5. The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein saidactuation member includes a second leg that is transverse to saidbridging portion, said second leg being positioned adjacent to said atleast one plate, and said second leg being longitudinally spaced fromsaid first leg.
 6. The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 5 whereinsaid actuation member includes a third leg that is transverse to saidbridging portion and that is positioned longitudinally between saidfirst leg and said second leg, said at least one plate being receivedbetween said third leg and said second leg.
 7. The clutch assembly asset forth in claim 2 wherein said actuation member includes a bridgingportion that extends longitudinally and that is disposed radiallybetween said clutch pack and said internal surface of said clutchhousing.
 8. The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein saidactuation member and said at least one plate are disposed in an abuttingrelationship such that said actuation member contacts said at least oneplate and pushes said at least one plate toward said first end of saidclutch pack in response to actuation of said secondary actuator.
 9. Theclutch assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said actuation member iscoupled to said at least one plate such that said at least one platemoves longitudinally with said actuation member in a first directiontoward said backing plate and in a second direction toward said appliedplate.
 10. The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 furthercomprising: a controller operably connected to said secondary actuatorthat actuates said secondary actuator to longitudinally move said atleast one plate toward said first end of said clutch pack by applyingsaid second pressure to said at least one plate in response to everyother longitudinal compression of said clutch pack by said primaryactuator.
 11. The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 furthercomprising: a controller operably connected to said primary actuator andsaid secondary actuator wherein said controller actuates said secondaryactuator to longitudinally move said at least one plate toward saidfirst end of said clutch pack by applying said second pressure to saidat least one plate before said controller actuates said primary actuatorto longitudinally compress said clutch pack by applying said firstpressure to said second end of said clutch pack.
 12. The clutch assemblyas set forth in claim 1 wherein said secondary actuator selectivelyapplies said second pressure to at least one friction plate in saidplurality of friction plates.
 13. The clutch assembly as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said secondary actuator selectively applies said secondpressure to at least one reaction plate in said plurality of reactionplates.
 14. A clutch assembly comprising: a clutch housing having aninternal surface that defines an inner cavity within said clutchhousing; a shaft disposed within said inner cavity of said clutchhousing, said shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and having anouter surface; a clutch pack disposed radially between said clutchhousing and said shaft that selectively couples rotation of said clutchhousing and said shaft; said clutch pack including a backing plateretained on one of said clutch housing and said shaft such that saidbacking plate cannot move longitudinally relative to said clutch housingand said shaft beyond a predetermined limit; said clutch pack includingan applied plate slidably retained on one of said clutch housing andsaid shaft such that said applied plate is moveable along saidlongitudinal axis relative to said clutch housing and said shaft; saidclutch pack including a plurality of friction plates disposed betweensaid backing plate and said applied plate, said plurality of frictionplates being slidably retained on one of said clutch housing and saidshaft such that each friction plate of said plurality of friction platesis moveable along said longitudinal axis relative to said clutch housingand said shaft; said clutch pack including a plurality of reactionplates disposed between said backing plate and said applied plate in aninterleaving relationship with said plurality of friction plates, saidplurality of reaction plates being slidably retained on one of saidclutch housing and said shaft such that each reaction plate of saidplurality of reaction plates is moveable along said longitudinal axisrelative to said clutch housing and said shaft; a primary actuator thatselectively applies pressure to said applied plate to move said appliedplate toward said backing plate in order to longitudinally compress saidclutch pack and couple rotation of said clutch housing and said shaft; afirst set of secondary actuators that selectively applies pressure to afirst reaction plate of said plurality of reaction plates tolongitudinally move said first reaction plate independently of saidapplied plate; and a second set of secondary actuators that selectivelyapplies pressure to a second reaction plate of said plurality ofreaction plates to longitudinally move said second reaction plateindependently of said applied plate and independently of said firstreaction plate, wherein said first set of secondary actuators include afirst set of actuation members that engage said first reaction plate andapply pressure to said first reaction plate during actuation of saidfirst set of secondary actuators, wherein said second set of secondaryactuators include a second set of actuation members that engage saidsecond reaction plate and apply pressure to said second reaction plateduring actuation of said second set of secondary actuators.
 15. Theclutch assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said first set ofactuation members are disposed radially about said longitudinal axis andwherein said second set of actuation members are disposed radially aboutsaid longitudinal axis and are radially offset with respect to saidfirst set of actuation members such that said first set of actuationmembers and said second set of actuation members are radially disposedin a sequentially alternating pattern about said longitudinal axis. 16.The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said applied plateand said plurality of reaction plates are rotatably coupled to saidclutch housing by a first plurality of splines disposed along saidinternal surface of said clutch housing such that said applied plate andsaid plurality of reaction plates rotate with said clutch housing. 17.The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said plurality offriction plates are rotatably coupled to said shaft by a secondplurality of splines disposed along said outer surface of said shaftsuch that said plurality of friction plates rotate with said shaft. 18.The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said plurality offriction plates are rotatably coupled to said clutch housing by a firstplurality of splines disposed along said internal surface of said clutchhousing such that said plurality of friction plates rotate with saidclutch housing.
 19. The clutch assembly as set forth in claim 18 whereinsaid applied plate and said plurality of reaction plates are rotatablycoupled to said shaft by a second plurality of splines disposed alongsaid outer surface of said shaft such that said applied plate and saidplurality of reaction plates rotate with said shaft.
 20. A clutchassembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein each friction plate of saidplurality of friction plates has an annular shape and a first side and asecond side that is longitudinally spaced from said first side, eachfriction plate of said plurality of friction plates including a frictioninterface disposed on at least one of said first side and said secondside, said friction interface operably transferring torque between saidplurality of friction plates and said plurality of reaction plates whensaid clutch pack is longitudinally compressed to rotatably couple saidclutch housing and said shaft.
 21. A clutch assembly comprising: aclutch housing having an internal surface that defines an inner cavitywithin said clutch housing; a shaft disposed within said inner cavity ofsaid clutch housing, said shaft extending along a longitudinal axis andhaving an outer surface; a clutch pack disposed radially between saidclutch housing and said shaft that selectively couples rotation of saidclutch housing and said shaft; said clutch pack including a backingplate retained on one of said clutch housing and said shaft such thatsaid backing plate cannot move longitudinally relative to said clutchhousing and said shaft beyond a predetermined limit; said clutch packincluding an applied plate slidably retained on one of said clutchhousing and said shaft such that said applied plate is moveable alongsaid longitudinal axis relative to said clutch housing and said shaft;said clutch pack including a plurality of friction plates disposedbetween said backing plate and said applied plate, said plurality offriction plates being slidably retained on one of said clutch housingand said shaft such that each friction plate of said plurality offriction plates is moveable along said longitudinal axis relative tosaid clutch housing and said shaft; said clutch pack including aplurality of reaction plates disposed between said backing plate andsaid applied plate in an interleaving relationship with said pluralityof friction plates, said plurality of reaction plates being slidablyretained on one of said clutch housing and said shaft such that eachreaction plate of said plurality of reaction plates is moveable alongsaid longitudinal axis relative to said clutch housing and said shaft; aPrimary actuator that selectively applies pressure to said applied plateto move said applied plate toward said backing plate in order tolongitudinally compress said clutch pack and couple rotation of saidclutch housing and said shaft; a first set of secondary actuators thatselectively applies pressure to a first reaction plate of said pluralityof reaction plates to longitudinally move said first reaction plateindependently of said applied plate; and a second set of secondaryactuators that selectively applies pressure to a second reaction plateof said plurality of reaction plates to longitudinally move said secondreaction plate independently of said applied plate and independently ofsaid first reaction plate, wherein said plurality of friction plates andsaid plurality of reaction plates wherein said plurality of frictionplates and said plurality of reaction plates move longitudinally towardsaid backing plate in response to said applied plate moving toward saidbacking plate such that said plurality of friction plates and saidplurality of reaction plates are squeezed together between said appliedplate and said backing plate as said clutch pack is longitudinallycompressed by said primary actuator.